Vertically pivoted reversible windows



Nov. 5, 1957 L. TOTH VERTICALLY PIVOTED REVERSIBLE WINDOWS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 I 5 INVENTOR Lao/5 Tor/1 Filed Feb. 1, 1955 Nov. 5, 1957 TOTH VERTICALLY PIVOTED REVERSIBLE WINDOWS I5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 1, 1955 NQM mow INNN 1 -11---- in? r. rru l QM fYlls III United States Patent Qfiflce 2.811754 Patented Nov. 5, 1957 2,811,754 VERTICALLY PIVOTED REVERSIBLE WINDOWS Louis Toth, Easton, Conn.

Application February 1, 1955, Serial No. 485,468

13 Claims. (CI. 20-53) This invention relates to windows pivoted to swing about vertical axes centrally located with respect to the window, so as to permit the window to be reversed. This permits both faces of the glass to be washed from the inside so that there is no necessity for the dangerous and difficult practice which requires the window washer to climb outside of the window to wash the outside. Two types of vertically pivoted windows may be used. Either the window may be reversed to approximately 180 for the washing of the outside face of the glass and then turned back to its initial position; or the window may be so constructed that after the inside face 'of the glass is cleaned, the window may be rotated through 180 to a fully closed position in which it may remain during the washing of the face of the glass which was previously on the outside, and then be left in that position until the next washing is required. The window is then rotated through another 180 so that it is capable of rotating through the full 360, and does not have to be turned back as in the first type of window.

In both types of window, the sealing of the window against the weather is essential. This is accomplished by the use of suitable weather strips, preferably flexible weather strips of vinyl plastic or the like. The sealing of the vertical joints at the sides of the sash is accom- .plished by means of a weather stripping which is flexible, but need not be adjustable. However, the sealing of the horizontal joints at the top and bottom of the window is more difficult as the leakage primarily takes place along such horizontal joints, and in order to insure tightness, the weather stripping at the top and bottom of the window is preferably mounted in an adjustable manner so that it can be taken up forpossi-ble wear and sagging of the window, and be maintained tight at all times.

Examples of both types of window which may be re ferred to as the 360 window, and the 180 window, respectively, are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure '1 is a front elevation of a 360 window;

Figure 2 is a vertical section on line 2-2 of Fig. 1;

Figure 3 is a horizontal section. on line 3-3 of Fig. 1;

Figure 4 is a fragmentary enlarged vertical section of the lower part of the window;

Figure 5 is a section similar to Fig. 2 of one of the horizontal members of the window showing a modified construction of weather stripping;

Figure 6 is a front elevation of a window of the 180 Figure 7 is a vertical section on line 77 of Fig. 6;

Figure 8 is a vertical section on line 8-8 of Fig. 6;

Figure 9 is a horizontal section of one side of the window on line 9-9 of Fig. 6;

Figures 10 and 1-1 are vertical sections of the lower parts of windows showing modified forms of packings, these being shown as applicable particularly to the 360 type of window;

Figures 12 and 13 are horizontal sectional views of the 180 window showing the sash in reversed position for cleaning the outside of the glass and in normal closed position respectively.

Referring to the drawings in detail, and particularly to Figs. 1 to 4; the window frame comprises a pair of upright or jamb members 16, a header member 18 and a sill member 20. All of these members are shown as of channel shape having a transverse web portion 22 and a pair of outwardly directed flanges 24 for engagement with the masonry, and a pair of inwardly directed flanges 26 provided with overhanging portions 28.

The sash comprises tubular stile members 30 having glass seating flanges 32 and dove-tail grooves 34 in their outer faces for receiving flexible plastic packing strips 36 and 38. The plastic strips 36 are shown as of closed tubular form with dove-tail shaped bases 40 fitting in the grooves 34 and with their outer curved surfaces preferably formed with a series of ribs 42. The packing strips 38 are shown as provided with a pair of flexible lips 44 for engagement with the metal surfaces of the frame. Either tubular or lip forms of packing strips are satisfactory and may beused interchangeably or in combination as desired. They are somewhat wider than the distance between the sash and frame, so that they are compressed when the window is closed, as shown in Fig. 3. By use of pairs of these strips near the inside and outside of the window respectively a double seal is provided which is very effective against the weather.

The top and bottom members of the sash comprise web portions 46 carrying outwardly projecting flanges 48 and inwardly projecting glass seating flanges 50. Mounted in the channel formed between the flanges 48 is a weather strip carrying member 52 which has dovetail grooves 34 wherein fit the weather sealing strips 36 and 38, which may be similar to those mounted in the sash stiles. The members 52 are resiliently supported and adjustable so that the engagement of the weather strips with frame at the top and bottom of the window may be adjusted and tightened up when necessary. As shown in Figs. 2 and 3 the members 52 rest on resilient plastic supporting strips 54 which are shown as having dove-tail shaped bases 56 fitting in grooves 58 in the transverse ribs 46 and having tongues 60 fitting in grooves 62in the backs of the members 52. If desired the plastic members 54 may be made hollow so as to provide additional resilient action. The members 52 are connected to the webs 46 by adjusting screws 64, so that the pressure between the weather strip members 36 and 38 and metal frame surfaces may be adjusted as desired. The sill member 20 with its flanges 26 forms a channel which will receive any leakage getting through the outer weather stripping member into the space between the weather strips. Such leakage can be drained off by a weep hole or holes 66.

The sash is mounted in the frame on centrally located pivots 68 at the top and bottom and the sash may be rotated the full 360 around these pivots. In practice one side of the window will be washed and the window then rotated 180 until the face on the outside is on the inside. This is then washed and the window may be left in this position until the next washing, or it may rotated through another 180 so that it is again in its initial position. The window is usable in either of the two positions.

In Fig. 5 a slightly modified form of top and bottom members of the sash and frame are shown. These members are shown as rolled sheet metal forms instead of extruded forms as shown in Figs. 1 to 4. The weather strip carrying members 52 are also shown as supported on a somewhat different form of plastic supporting members 70, which are shown as of T. section,'instead of the hollow section illustrated particularly in Figs. 2 and 4.

Figs. 6, 7, 8, 12 and 13 show a reversible window of what has been referred to as a 180 type. That is to say, the window swings through 180 to permit the movement of the outside face of the window to the inside where it may be washed, after which the window is turned back to its initial position. In this type of window overlapping flanges are provided located on the, outside on one-half of the window and on the .inside on the otherhalf window, which permit the window to be reversed, .but prevent the rotary movement from being continued. As shown in these figures, the window frame comprises vertical jamb members 116, header member 118 and a sillmember 120. Thevertical frame or jamb .memberat that side of the window where the sashswings outward (Fig. .9 andleft hand side Figs, 12 and 13) comprises, a web 122 carrying outwardly turned flanges 124 for engagement with the masonry, a narrow flangeisection 126 at the :outside of the jamb, and a broader flange section128l at the. inside of the .jarnb. The latter has a metalistop. surface 1:30am a dovetail groove 1 3 2-inhs face. in which is fitted aiplastic weather strip member 134, preferably of vinyl plastic and carrying flexible tonguest136. lnitheijamhmembenat the opposite side, of the,;piv9t axis the positions of the narrow and wi'deflanges is reversed as shown at the might hand sides of Figs. 1-2 and 13.. The. sash stiles comprise tubular members 138; having glass seating flanges 4140 thereon, and on the inner side carrying channelmemhers 142 whieh have wide flange sections 144 forengagement with the narrow. flanges. 12:6.on, the. j amb. members, and narrowerv flange, sections 146 engaging. the stops surfaces 130 on the. flanges. 1,23. and thesflexible. tongues. 136 in the weather strips 134, Theposition of the broad and narrow flanges 144 and 146 isreversed: on the two .stiless'o as to conform to the reversed position ofrthe jambflanges. The broad; flange sections 144; have surfaces MSengaging in metal to metal contact with. the. flange, sections L26 and arealsoprovidedawithdovedail recess 150-carrying flex ible weather strip memhers152; The sashes 154arepivoted on pivots 1561 at the, top and bottomof thewihdow, these pivots being slightly displaced from. thecenter line of. the window (towards the left, Figs. 12and 13) toprovide proper clearance when reversing the sash.

The header of thesash. is shownas comprisinga hollow member 158 havinga glass receivingflange 160 and having fixed. to its outer. top surface at one side of the pivot agtiS. (Fig. 7) a channel member, 162havingarelatively low flangesection164and a higher flange section 166. Theirame header. is ofsirnilarsection to the frame jamb shown in.,Fig. 9, and at thesideoftthe pivot-axis shown inEig. 7 theflange section. 128 thereof carries packing or. weather. stripping. 132 which. is engagedby the. flange section.164. The flange section 126: of-= the header is engaged .by. the surfacetof thefiange section-166= Anadjustableseal isprovided at the top of the-partof thewindow comprisinga flexible weather...stripping member .168, preferably a tubular vinyl plastic member which slides under the inwardly turned portion 170 of the flange section 126.- Theweather stripping membertl68is mounted in dove tail grooves in thetop. portion 172 of a l-shaped weather strip carriermember 174, the lower-fiangeof which moves between upright flanges .1761zf theschannel member162 and isadjusted in position therein by adjusting screws 178. The member 174 isyi'eldingly supported by a resilient plasticlstrip.180.:fittingUin grooves-in the member 162 and transversenportions.172irespectivelyr At the bottom of the half of the windowshown in Fig; 7 the lower transverse member 182 of the sash is a hollow member caryi ng a channel 184 whichihasa narrow flange section 186 and a wide flange section 188. This part of the,sill of -the window frameis of-similar section -to that of. thcsheader, exceptthat it is preferably provided with Weep holes .190 fordraining any moisture which may accumulate between. the flanges of-the' sill; The wide flange section. 128 of the sill is engaged;by the narrow flange section 186 of the lower sash'member; while the narrow flange section 1260f the sill-is engaged by the til wide flange section 188 of the sash. A weather stripping member 168 is carried by a Z-shaped carrier bar 174 and engages the flange of the turned over portion of the flanges 126. Adjusting screws 178 are provided and also screws 192 which work in slots in the weather strip carrying bars so as to prevent the latter from dropping more than a limited distance when the window is opened, depending upon the adjustment of the adjusting screws 178. No resilient support for the weather strip carrying bar such as the supporting strip at the top of the window is required.

If desired rain deflectors 194 may be mounted on the frame header member and on the lower horizontal sash member on the outside of the window.

At the bottom of the part of the window shown in Fig. 8 a channel member 200 is mounted on the sill, this having a low flange 202 and a high flange 204. Mounted inside of the high flange is a weather strip car rier bar 206 which is urged upwardly by spring 208 as faras may be allowed by the. adjustment of adjusting screw 210. Carried by the member 206 is a hollow resilient plastic packing 212,. The inside face of the sash engages the flange 204 and its bottom face; rides on the plastic weather stripping 212. At, the outside of the sash is a flange 216 having a. dove-tail recess 218 in which fits a plastic weather stripping member 220 of arched cross section and having a ribbedsurface. This engages the flange 202 on the channel member.. At the top of this part of the window (Fig. 8) the channel 200 and associated parts are inverted; and, mounted on the header. instead of the A modified. constructionv for an. adjustable packing or weather. stripping is shown in Fig. 10. This type of weather stripping may be'usedpwith. either type of window, but. is illustrated in; connection with the window of the 360. type. As here shown, thesill 230 is provided with a sloping. surface232 ext'endihga considerable way across the top of. thesill. At the: other side of the sill the flange 234, which is provided with. a; weep hole-236, has an inwardly sloping lip 238.and an.outwardly projecting sloping lip .240. Thesash memberqhasattachedto its lower surface an extrudedbar 242;havihg.near one side a groove 244uintwhich fits the base... of an arch shaped weather stripping member 246. The other edge of the latter has a flangewith one-or more holes thereinthrough which passadjustingscrewsZstS: By adjusting thescrews 248 thearchlformat'ion of 'the weather strip may bezincreased or 'decreased, thereby. increasing or, decreasing. pressure of the fiexiblesribbedlsurface .250 thereof against the sunface232 ofthe-sill member. Aslthe position ofthe window: isreversed; the ribbed-surface250 slides over. the lips 240'and'238-intoengagement with the surface 232.

Fig.- 11 shows another modified construction of weather stripping This isparticularlyapplicable: to the 360 type of window and comprises a weather strip carrying member 252 mounted on the sash member and adjustably held thereon'by an adjusting: screw 254; The member252 carries near one edge theT-shaped weather stripping member 256 having a weather strip portion 258 adapted to engage a surface 260 on the sill. Th'eT shaped member is urged outwardly by the-resilient fin 262'. At the other side of the sash is a hollowweather stripping member-264 engaging a surface 266 on the sillt' Aresilient tube 268 is'rnounted'bet-ween a sash member andthe member 252 and yieldingly supports it in downwardly urged position.

A novel construction of glass holding means is discIQsedherein, this comprising the provision of abutment stops-or rib's-280--formed-on-the innerfaces of the-sash members which receive the pan'eorpanes of glass 282. 'Cooperatingwith-these abutment ribs-are the glass retaining-moldings '284which are in the form'of inverted channels; the sidewalls or-legs-of-whichare capable of being sprungtogether slightly. ,The outer legs of these channels hayeribs 286*which engage-with pucketsin flanges 288 When mounting the glass the inner leg of the channel is forced against and stopped by the rib 280 enabling the outer leg of the channel to be sprung in sufiiciently to permit the rib 286 to snap into the pocket in the flange 288, thereby locking the molding in place and firmly retaining the glass. No screws or other auxiliary fastening devices are needed to hold the molding in place.

While certain preferred embodiments of the invention have been illustrated and described in detail, it is to be understood that changes may be made therein and the invention embodied in other structures. It is not, therefore, the intention to limit the patent to the specific constructions illustrated, but to cover the invention broadly in whatever form its principles may be utilized.

I claim:

1. A vertically pivoted window structure adapted to be reversed for washing, comprising a frame having a header, sill and jambs, a sash having stiles and tap and bottom rails pivoted in the frame for swinging movement about a vertical pivotal axis midway of the width of the window structure, flexible resilient weather strips mounted on the sash stiles for engaging the window jambs, adjustable weather strip carrying bars mounted on the top and bottom rails of the sash, and flexible weather strip members carried by said bars for engagement with the surface of the header and the sill member of the window.

2. A vertically-pivoted window structure adapted to be reversed for washing, comprising a frame having a header, sill and jambs, a sash having stiles and top and bottom rails pivoted in the frame for swinging movement about a vertical pivotal axis midway of the width of the window structure, flexible resilient weather strips mounted on the sash stiles for engaging the window jambs, adjustable weather strip carrying bars mounted on the top and bottom rails of the sash and flexible weather strip members carried by said bars for engagement with the surface of the header and the sill member of the window, at least some of said weather strip members comprising elastic plastic tubes.

3. A vertically pivoted window structure adapted to be reversed for washing, comprising a frame having a header, sill and jambs, a sash having stiles and top and bottom rails pivoted in the frame for swinging movement about a vertical pivotal axis midway of the width of the window structure, flexible resilient weather strips mounted on the sash stiles for engaging the window jambs, adjustable weather strip carrying bars mounted on the top and bottom rails of the sash and flexible weather strip members carried by said bars for engagement with the surfaces of the header and the sill members of the window, and resilient plastic strips fitted between the top and bottom sash rails and said weather strip carrying bars.

4. A vertically pivoted window structure adapted to be reversed for washing, comprising a frame having a header, sill and jambs, a sash having stiles and top and bottom rails pivoted in the frame for swinging movement about a vertical pivotal axis midway of the width of the window structure, flexible resilient weather strips mounted on the sash stiles for engaging the window jambs, adjustable weather strip carrying bars mounted on the top and bottom rails of the sash and flexible weather strip members carried by said bars for engagement with the surfaces of the header and the sill members of the window, resil ient plastic strips fitted between the top and bottom sash rails and said weather strip carrying bars, and arranged to normally urge the bars away from the sash rails and adjusting screws for drawing the bars towards the sash rails against the resilient action of said resilient strips.

5. A window structure as claimed in claim 4 in which the resilient plastic strips have bases fitting in recesses in the sash rail members and tongues fitting in grooves in the weather strip carrying bars.

6. A window structure as claimed in claim 1 in which at least one of the flexible resilient horizontally mounted weather strips comprises an arch shaped plastic member provided with means for adjusting the width thereof so as to change the arch formation and increase or decrease the tightness of the engagement between the arch and the member with which it contacts.

7. In a vertically pivoted window structure adapted to be reversed for washing, a frame including a header,

jambs, and a sill in the form of a channel having side walls and inwardly turned lips at the tops of said side walls, a sash having stiles and top and bottom rails pivoted in the frame for swinging movement about a vertical pivoted axis midway of the width of the window structure, weather strips for sealing the joints between the sash stiles and the window jambs, flexible resilient weather strip means mounted horizontally at the top of the Window frame, an adjustable weather strip carrying bar mounted on the bottom rail of the sash, and flexible resilient weather stripping members mounted on said bar for engagement with the lips on the sill channel.

8. A window as claimed in claim 7 in which the lips on the sill channel walls are inwardly and downwardly inclined.

9. A vertically pivoted window structure comprising a frame having a header, sill and jambs and a sash having stiles and top and bottom rails and pivoted in said frame for swinging movement about a vertical pivotal axis midway of the width of the window structure, flexible resilient weather strips mounted on the sash stiles for engaging the window jambs, said jambs having weather strip engaging surfaces symmetrically arranged with respect to pivot axis in contact with which the resilient weather strips on the sash stiles sweep when the sash is rotated about said pivotal axis whereby the sash may be rotated about its axis through 360, thus permitting the sash to be rotated through 180 for washing, and then through a further 180 in the same direction back to initial position, at least one adjustable weather strip carrying bar mounted on a sash rail and extending substantially the full length thereof, means for adjusting said bar towards and from the sash rail upon which it is mounted, and a flexible weather strip member carried by said bar for engagement with the surface of the adjacent horizontal window frame member (header or sill) over which said weather strip member sweeps when the sash is swung about its pivotal axis.

10. A construction as claimed in claim 9 in which the weather strips carried by the sash are resilient plastic, and are mounted in pairs near the inner and outer faces of the sash, respectively.

11. A construction as claimed in claim 9 in which a resilient plastic sealing member is mounted between the weather strip carrying bar and the sash rail upon which the same is mounted.

12. A construction as claimed in claim 9 in which the bottom rail of the sash has a convexly curved resilient plastic weather stripping member mounted thereon extending longitudinally across said bottom rail, means for fixedly anchoring one margin of said resilient plastic member to the said bottom rail, and means for adjustably attaching the other margin of said resilient plastic member to said bottom rail for adjustment transversely of the Width of said rail.

13. A vertically pivoted window structure adapted to be reversed for washing comprising a frame having a header, sill and jambs, a sash having stiles and top and bottom rails pivoted in said frame for swinging movement through approximately a half revolution about a vertical pivotal axis midway of the window structure, the jambs at the respective sides of the frame having abutment flanges, the abutment flange on one jamb being on the outside of the frame and the abutment flange on the other jamb being near the inside of the frame, the respective sash stiles having abutment flanges thereon to cooperate with the corresponding flanges on the 

